Calculating Distance to Cefeide Star w/ Stellar Extinction

AI Thread Summary
To calculate the distance to a Cepheid star, one must consider both visual magnitude and extinction caused by interstellar dust. The formula m_{v}=M_{V}+5log(r/10)+A_{v} incorporates extinction, where A_{v} represents the visual magnitude extinction. The color index relationship m_{b}-m_{v}=M_{B}-M_{V}+E_{B-V} is also essential, with E_{B-V} indicating color excess. To find the absolute magnitude in the B range, M_{B}, one must first understand how to calculate extinction accurately. Understanding stellar extinction is crucial for determining a star's intrinsic brightness and distance.
Sux
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Hi! In this problem I have to calculate the distance to a cefeide star, I know visual magnitude, m_{v}, his magnitude in B range, m_{b} and its period, P.

Well, if I ignore extinction, I can calculate the distance with M_{V}:

m_{v}=M_{V}+5log(\frac{r}{10})+A_{v}

Where A{v} is visual magnitude extinction.

As I know color index:

m_{b}-m_{v}=M_{B}-M_{V}+E_{B-V}

Where: E_{B-V} is color excess.

And:

\frac{A_{V}}{E_{B-V}}\approx3I just need to calculate absolute magnitude in B range, M_{B}, to calculate extinction and be able to calculate the distance.

Any ideas about how could I do it?

I apologize for my mistakes, I am still learning English.

Thanks.
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
Your English is quite good, although I don't understand what you mean by "extinction" (it means something specific in English--it's what happened to the dinosaurs). If you define it clearly, I can probably give you the correct word.
 
Stellar extinction has to do with the loss of light due to gas/dust in the path to the observer --atmospheric extinction due to volcanic dust, extinction due to dust around a star, for example.

It must be corrected for to determine the intrinsic brightness of a star.

Neil
 
Yes, stellar "extinction" is the loss of flux or brightness due to interstellar dust.

Here you have it: http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Mathis/Mathis1.html"

Thanks for the answers.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This thread is dedicated to the beauty and awesomeness of our Universe. If you feel like it, please share video clips and photos (or nice animations) of space and objects in space in this thread. Your posts, clips and photos may by all means include scientific information; that does not make it less beautiful to me (n.b. the posts must of course comply with the PF guidelines, i.e. regarding science, only mainstream science is allowed, fringe/pseudoscience is not allowed). n.b. I start this...
Today at about 4:30 am I saw the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, where they were about the width of the full moon, or one half degree apart. Did anyone else see it? Edit: The moon is 2,200 miles in diameter and at a distance of 240,000 miles. Thereby it subtends an angle in radians of 2,200/240,000=.01 (approximately). With pi radians being 180 degrees, one radian is 57.3 degrees, so that .01 radians is about .50 degrees (angle subtended by the moon). (.57 to be more exact, but with...
Back
Top